See im Gebirge, im Vordergrund bei einem Weidenbaum zwei Kühe 

Curator: This watercolor and pencil drawing is titled "See im Gebirge, im Vordergrund bei einem Weidenbaum zwei Kühe". It resides here at the Städel Museum, and the piece is attributed to Carl Philipp Schallhas. Editor: It's all very… muted. Washed out almost. I'm getting a kind of melancholy, dreamy vibe. A lake surrounded by majestic mountains—it reminds me of a forgotten storybook illustration. Curator: Schallhas created a classical Romantic scene. Note how the mountains are soft in the background and, in the foreground, are the cows grazing next to a weeping willow, very common pastoral motifs. Editor: There’s such a strange stillness, isn't there? Even the brushstrokes feel hesitant, almost timid. You wouldn't expect that considering those peaks! The cows lend a really homey sense, as though saying, "Even in this great, epic landscape, life persists in simple ways." Curator: Cows are common throughout art history to represent prosperity, peace, and often, divine provision. It is set near water; water in art symbolizes the unconscious and can represent purification. Editor: I find it so interesting how we automatically try to decode these kinds of images, looking for some hidden moral or meaning. Maybe Schallhas just liked cows and mountains! Still, those mountains practically scream longing, a sort of quiet awe at nature’s immensity. I do find something hopeful about it, though—a feeling of serenity. Curator: Hope might be the result of enduring values in a time of great change. Editor: You've certainly given me a lot to consider here, tracing threads from those tranquil cows all the way up to those monumental peaks! It certainly feels good to sit quietly here and contemplate such beautiful art.